Since none of us made it to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this year, I thought we’d try Western PA’s version, the Waynesburg Sheep and Fiber Festival. I could tell there’d be disappointment when we arrived an hour after opening and immediately found parking close to the fairgrounds. Upon entering we found three vendors, the kids event tent, and this guy – the “entertainment”.
We eventually found the pavillion holding the Sheep to Shawl contestants.
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Three groups participated. After the sheep were shorn, people carded and spun the wool and fed it to the weaver. After 3 (or 4) hours, the shawls would be finished and judged and then available for auction.
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The main vendor pavillion was a nice little shopping and browsing experience. All of us found something from the Annadele Alpacas booth. I bought this nice, soft, machine washable alpaca/nylon blend yarn for a scarf.
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The entertainment seemed to pick up, with a full Christian Rock Band set up and playing on the stage by 1:00. But more entertaining were the Border Collies.
Here’s “Gail” herding ducks. She later graduated to sheep.
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I wondered, though, how seriously we should take a shepard that uses a shower curtain rod for her staff. —–>
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Outside the ring were 6 Border Collie puppies, less than four weeks old, that sounded like crying seagulls when they whimpered.
As for livestock, I saw only 4 sheep (including the 3 used in the herding demos), 2 alpacas, 3 goats, and a handful of angora rabbits. Pretty lame for a sheep festival, but I suppose once you’ve seen 4 sheep you’ve seen them all.
Lesson learned: There is only one Sheep and Wool Festival
4 responses so far ↓
Minh // May 17, 2009 at 8:41 am |
Mmm…thanks for the scoop. Although the alpaca yarn looks great (year of the scarf!), I’m now not sad that I didn’t go. Oh well, they can’t all be Maryland Sheep and Wool.
Susan // May 17, 2009 at 9:27 am |
I’m glad we went, if only to find out about Annadele Alpaca yarn (and see those darn cute puppies!) We should definitely take a trip to their alpaca farm.
Rebecca // May 19, 2009 at 2:08 pm |
OK, so I’m always hesitant to go to sheep and wool festivals because they usually mean hay and straw. I have an anaphylactic response to the stuff and don’t want my throat swelling and closing off my airway to ruin the fun. But this sounds like one I could go to! …Lots of open spaces and very few sheep and hay! YAY! : )
"Lisa" // June 12, 2009 at 4:08 am |
as a boring person, i loved the waynesburg festival — just my speed! i spent way too long browsing and shopping. it thrills me to see so many really local fiber vendors. even though i loved maryland sheep and wool, i spent more at the waynesburg one, cuz i didn’t have the expense of hotel/food/gas.
speaking of food, great mexican restaurant in canonsburg, right?